Top 25 Dog Breeds With the Most Health Issues

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Watching your best four-legged friend struggle is one of the most painful experiences a pet owner can go through. Despite all your tender, loving care, health issues could plague the life of your dear pet. Such experiences can also take a toll on your wallet, with Americans spending nearly $16 billion on vet care in 2015. Pet owners should expect such medical emergencies, as it is likely each will have to pay $2,000-4,000 at some point for their pets.

When choosing a furry companion, it is useful to know which breeds are known for health issues. While purebred dogs are appealing for their characteristic traits, the selective breeding process also leads to the prevalence of a variety of inherited diseases within breeds. Different breeds are predisposed for ailments, such as cataracts, hip dysplasia and cancer. Reputable breeders often offer health guarantees but some diseases are difficult to predict at young ages.

The team at PetBreeds saved you some research and identified the 25 breeds with the most health issues. The data doesn’t say that a given dog will definitely develop the corresponding diseases, only that these concerns are closely associated with the breed. We identified dogs with the highest total of health issues, according to Animal Planet. We then ranked these breeds according to the approximate number of major and minor health concerns and bucketed the total of health issues into tier labels including “Medium,” "High" and “Very High.” Any ties are broken by the dog with the greater number of major health concerns. This list of breeds is ranked from least to most specific concerns.

#5. Saint Bernard

#4. Golden Retriever

Health Concern Level: High

The popular golden retriever breed is known to suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia. A minor health concern is allergies.

#3. Bulldog

Health Concern Level: High

The bulldog, which can suffer from a variety of health issues, is regarded as “the most extreme example of genetic manipulation in the dog-breeding world that results in congenital and hereditary problems.”

#2. German Shepherd

Health Concern Level: Very High

The German shepherd is noted as being particularly prone to hip dysplasia, which can be prevented through careful breeding and screening efforts.

#1. Cocker Spaniel

Health Concern Level: Very High

At the top of the list is the friendly cocker spaniel, which has the highest number of health concerns. While known to have a variety of orthopaedic issues, the cocker spaniel is also prone to epilepsy, heart diseases and liver disease.